DOCTORS have seen a huge increase in the number of food poisoning cases on Merseyside.

DOCTORS have seen a huge increase in the number of food poisoning cases on Merseyside.

The giant rise in the number of campylobacter victims occurred at the first signs of the heatwave and is being blamed on barbecue food.

Now people are being urged to ensure they prepare and cook their food properly in a bid to prevent more cases as the summer sunshine continues.

Campylobacter is a bacteria found in poultry and in some raw meats.

The number of cases in Merseyside is usually between one and nine a week, but 21 cases were reported together.

It is a year-round infection that peaks in spring and summer and symptoms are similar to salmonella with abdominal pain and nausea, fever and diarrhoea.

There is usually a delay of three-to-five days between the germ entering the body and the individual becoming unwell, although this incubation time can be anything from one to 10 days.

Campylobacter spreads in the barbecue season if people do not prepare and cook food properly, which includes using separate knives and chopping boards for raw and cooked food.

Dr John Curnow, consultant in communicable disease control with the Cheshire and Merseyside Health Protection Team, said: "Just after we got the first weeks of lovely sun, we had a huge peak in the number of cases of campylobacter.

"They were dotted around so there didn't seem to be an out-break but there was a very noticeable peak. One conclusion is that it may be linked to men being let loose on the barbecue, as at the first sign of sun they turn into the galloping gourmet.

"Barbecues are potentially dangerous.

"People associate them with the Australian beaches, but they are also part of a great British summer tradition.

"People take to the outdoors when the sun shines and it is understandable that they will wish to enjoy al fresco dining with family and friends when the opportunity presents itself.

"Barbecues are a great social tradition and fantastic fun, but they are not without health hazards and it is incredibly important for people to observe the basic rules of food preparation and cooking.

"The coals should be lit well in advance so they are glowing red with lots of heat, not just licked with yellow flames."

Dr Curnow added: "Campylobacter is very unpleasant.

"It starts with a feeling of nausea and can produce diarrhoea which is often bloody.

"It can sensitise the gastrointestinal system and lead to more serious conditions like arthritis in fit people and even a temporary paralysis.

"It is associated with raw food, particularly chicken, but you could also pick it up on a picnic in the countryside in a field where cows have been, or even salad taken from fields which have been contaminated by slurry."